Johannes Zutt appointed World Bank Vice President for South Asia
WASHINGTON: The World Bank has appointed Johannes Zutt as new Vice President for the South Asia region, succeeding Martin Raiser. His appointment takes effect from July 1, 2025.
As regional Vice President, Zutt will oversee the Bank’s relations with Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, managing a portfolio of projects, technical assistance and financial resources totalling $39 billion.
Under Zutt’s leadership, the World Bank will continue to support South Asia in addressing job creation, climate and disaster resilience, human capital development and private capital mobilisation.
A Dutch national, Zutt joined the World Bank in 1999 and has held increasingly senior roles. He most recently served as Country Director for Brazil. Before that, he was Director for Strategy, Results, Risk and Learning in the Operational Policy and Country Services Vice Presidency. He has also been Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, as well as for Türkiye, the Comoros, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles and Somalia.
“I am delighted to see the strong development progress that South Asia has achieved in the ten years since I last worked in the region,” said Zutt. “I look forward to this new opportunity to contribute and to once again experience the warmth of the region’s people and the richness of its cultures.”
Zutt holds a BA and MA in Philosophy from the University of Toronto, a law degree from Harvard University and a DPhil in Philosophy from the University of Oxford.
He will be based in New Delhi, India, which will serve as the new regional hub for South Asia, in line with the World Bank’s decentralisation efforts to bring it closer to clients and enhance service delivery.
